Do Red Light Cameras Help Decrease Car Crashes in Delaware?
The experienced auto accident attorneys at Silverman, McDonald & Friedman know how to protect their clients’ rights when they have been injured in a crash caused by a driver who ran a red light. Please contact us to reserve your free consultation time in one of our offices in Wilmington, Seaford or Newark.
Have you ever reached an intersection just as the light turned red, and stopped just in time to see the car in the lane beside you whizzing on through the intersection running the red light? Drivers who are in a hurry and who are not thinking about the safety of the other drivers on the road think it is not a problem to disobey the traffic signal when it serves their own purposes. Although it may seem like an insignificant infraction, running red lights is the cause of serious car crashes and pedestrian accidents in cities across the United States. According to the National Coalition for Safer Roads, which promotes National “Stop on Red” awareness week every summer, red light running crashes killed 697 people and injured 127,000 in 2013.
In Delaware, the Department of Transportation’s (DelDOT) Electronic Red Light Safety Program (ERLSP) has been in operation since 2004 and includes about 30 cameras throughout the state in Dover, Seaford, Newark, Elsmere and Wilmington. The fine for a violation is $137.50, and a notice is sent to the registered owner of the vehicle. If the violation is not paid within 30 days late fees are assessed. Red light camera violations are a civil offense rather than a criminal one. These violations do not impact the motorist’s auto insurance rates or accumulate points on their driving record.
The reason for red light cameras
Red light cameras are designed to change driver behavior by imposing an immediate penalty when they run a red light. Red light cameras are often placed in locations where there have been crashes in the past due to drivers running red lights. According to an article on Delaware Public Media, the city of Dover reports that the red light cameras are working, however, their reports do not provide a lot of detail to back up those claims. AAA Mid-Atlantic is putting pressure on DelDOT to prove that the red light cameras are not just money makers. Statewide, DelDOT’s red-light camera reports a 30 percent reduction in vehicle crashes caused by red light running in 2014. The revenue from violations has steadily declined from almost $1 million in 2010 to about $300,000 in 2012 and 2013. Declining revenue is a good sign because it indicates a change in driver behavior.
According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), red light cameras reduced fatal red light running crashes by 24 percent, and the rate of all types of crashes at red light camera signal intersections by 17 percent. Over time, DelDOT officials report that photo enforcement is reducing violations and accidents.
If you or a loved one should become injured in a crash that was caused by the negligence of another driver running a red light, you may be able to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. You could recover compensation to cover the cost of your medical expenses, lost time at work and other losses.
Please fill out our quick contact form to learn more about our legal services and to schedule a free consultation to discuss your case. At Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we proudly serve clients throughout Delaware from our offices in Newark, Seaford and Wilmington.
Attorney Jeffrey S. Friedman joined Silverman, McDonald & Friedman in 2001. He graduated from Widener University School of Law, and is admitted to practice law in Delaware and Pennsylvania, and in several Federal Circuit courts. He areas of concentration include auto accident and workers’ compensation cases. Read more about Attorney Friedman here.